I want to share with you a recent case study of a typical client, as I think it illustrates many of the services I provide.

‘I was recently approached by a young couple – let’s call them Mr and Mrs Scarborough – in their mid-twenties and looking to get on the property ladder for the first time. They came to me for mortgage advice, as they were completely baffled by the sheer number of different loans on offer – fixed rates, trackers, cashback, shared equity… it can be overwhelming and it’s easy to make a mistake.

Most important for me first, was helping them to decide what they could afford – after all, there’s no point in taking out a loan that you will struggle to pay, too many have done that before. I looked, in some detail, at their budget and we came up with a mortgage and a repayment that they could manage, without being overstretched. After looking across the whole of the mortgage market, we decided upon a five-year fixed rate loan to see them beyond all the uncertainties of Brexit and at a pretty low rate and off they went to find a property.

Weeks later they returned, delighted with their new home but anxious to talk about protecting their property and also making sure they would be covered if anything happened to either of them in the future.

They had dabbled with comparison websites but quickly found that their circumstances didn’t quite match the one-size-fit-all policies offered online. Instead I found them the right life cover, critical illness cover and home and contents insurance, in joint names, so that they were fully protected if anything happened to either of them or to their lovely new home. We also looked at sickness cover but concluded that their employment adequately covered them if either was ill for a lengthy period. That’s something we’ll keep an eye on during their annual review.

So they walked away with a mortgage they could afford and the peace of mind that if, heaven forbid, either of them died or suffered from a critical illness, the mortgage would be covered.